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Monday, March 05, 2007

3791

That's miles traveled this time, not altitude. Since my last oil change right before leaving Oak Park on Feb 16th. (8,000 miles since purchasing the car on December 19. Please don't hate me, car! I take you to exciting new places and don't burn your upholstery with my cigarettes like your previous owner!)I'm still waiting for google maps to come out with an indiana jones style animated red line to mark my epic travels, but until then, you can check out this plain old map of the least direct route ever between between two points (aka my travel route over the last 16 days.) Lauren, Ruth, Katie, Richard, and MP - if you're ever doubting my love, just look at this sad empty friendlessdirect route i could have taken. (Highway 80, she's a mighty good road...)

travel notes from the last leg:

my stop outside of LV was all it promised to be... the famous casinos of downtown LV really are that giant and shiny and crazy, especially when the sight comes upon you at night after driving through the empty empty desert all day. In my decidedly less ritzy hotel I even stopped down in the casino to play a few quarter slots, despite my general revulsion for all things gambling. (Richard is probably still sore at me for my grumpiness during our visit to mohegan sun.) I planned to just use up my $8 (what i had in my pocket), but i shockingly (my results at gambling usually match my attitude.) ended up winning a bit pretty quickly so I just went through my winnings and broke even. Not the worst way to kill time, but not my finest half hour either.

If Idaho in June was the worst smelling drive I've ever made, southern ca in march was the best smelling. From bakersfield north for several hours i kept my windows down and floated on the incredible smell of all the fruit trees in bloom. and if it wasn't just the most perfectly gorgeous afternoon to match. (a woman in the parking lot of trader joes, which i conveniently passed in bakersfield, said "i wish all summer could be like this." Which made me happy to only be passing through on this glorious day and not have to stay for the actual summer.)

Oh yeah, the google map doesn't lie, I did make it to the end of the road in orinda ca! Staying with a great friend of my mom. but the trip doesn't end here - i'm off a bit later to scout out my new home of santa cruz. in no particular order, my to do list in the next couple of days (before flying east for convention) reads: shelter job(s)oil change/car wash/carbon emissions offset (what's the one from your bumper sticker, kt?)